Flames Fade
by Firegirl210
Summary: What would the world be like if Brainy and Phoenix never met? Not that different, right? Wrong. Things would be more different than anyone could possibly imagine. When suddenly the timestream is changed, only Tinya can set things right...--COMPLETE!
1. TIMELINER

_Hello friends! This is the first chapter of my Alternate Universe story that actually revolves around Tinya. WARNING: If you don't know the Legionnaires' real names, you are going to have serious issues while reading this fic. DON'T BE DETERRED! You can really probably figure out who they are from reading. So read, review and enjoy!  
Duh, I don't own the Legion of Superheroes, durr dur durr.  
READ REVIEW ENJOY_

* * *

FLAMES FADE

CHAPTER ONE:

TIMELINER

"You can't tell me that you won't be happy if it's a boy."

Phoenix, Apparition, Shrinking Violet, Triad and Tesla were sitting in the main lounge, chattering over Imra's swollen belly.

"Of course I'll be happy! I just want a girl a little bit more." She retorted, gently rubbing her stomach. Phoenix was looking so bright, like she was about to explode from happiness.

"Oh, Imra—" Suddenly the air seemed to waver. Bright colors swirled around until they settled on darker hues. A heavy column pinned Apparition to the ground as she unconsciously phased through it, not processing what was happening.

"Tinya, come on! We need to get out of here!"

Apparition looked up, and started back in shock.

Everything was different.

The Legion Tower was in shambles, looking like it was in the middle of a battlefield. The windows of the main room, intact and looking over a shimmering city moments before, were shattered and dirty, giving view to a barren, war-torn city below.

Timber Wolf was holding his hand out, crouched on a fallen pipe. She looked up at him and gasped—a large scar slashed down his face, leaving his right cheek bare of fur. His right eye was milky and blind, and his Legion Suit had been replaced by something that looked like an assassin's uniform. When had everything changed? It was perfect a moment before…

"Tinya, hurry! Reep and Hart are waiting in the cruiser. We thought you were dead too."

The way he said 'too' scared her to death, and she grabbed onto his hand. She noticed that her own clothes looked similar to his, and her right middle finger felt naked without a flight ring.

"Timber Wolf, what happened here?" She gasped, shock making her reel. He gave her an odd look, as if he wasn't sure what she meant.  
"Tinya…I haven't been called Timber Wolf since the Legion disbanded, remember?"

She stopped stock still, eyes wide.

"Disbanded? What are you talking about?! The Legion is as strong as ever!"

He gave her another odd look and leaped down to a cruiser that was humming softly in a murky shadow. New Metropolis was looking more like New Gotham, and the inky shadows were barely a different shade than the rest of the street.

She looked into the car and felt her heart give a little wrench—Nemesis. Chameleon. They were the same—but so very different. Cham had one of his antennas missing, and his usually grinning face was serious and sad. Nemesis looked pretty much the same, but when she looked into his eyes she saw the haunted, empty sadness. They were all so sad…

"Hurry, Tinya, we've only got a few minutes before the search-droids come around." Hart said, and his voice was distant and rough.  
She sat down in the cruiser, trying to process what was happening. She was confused, but the others acted like this was the way things had always been.

The cruiser pulled up to an inconspicuous brown building, and they bustled out, hurrying into the shadows of the hideout. Tinya entered the room and felt her heart give another wrench. So many scarred, so many missing…

"Tinya! I'm so glad you're safe!" Live Wire—no, Garth—wrapped her in a hug, much closer and more relieved than she would have thought. Then he pulled away and kissed her forehead, and she started in shock. She looked at Garth and then back at Brin, head reeling. She and Garth? How? When? She and Brin! He and Imra…

Imra.

"Garth, where's Imra?" She asked, and his face tightened.

"Tinya…she died years ago when Imperiac Six attacked, remember? How could you forget that?"

She felt like the floor was spinning, and she searched wildly for the other members missing.

"Chuck? Salu? Nura? Thom? Lyle? Jo? Val! Dirk! Rokk! Jan! Imra!" She was sobbing now, and Garth put an arm around her. She held onto him desperately, tears rolling down her cheeks as she denied the world she was in.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be! Imra isn't dead! She can't be!" She sobbed, and Garth looked stricken.

"And Phoenix—Phoenix! Where are Phoenix and Tesla and Niana?"

"Tinya…I think you hit your head back there. Why don't you lie down?" She allowed Garth to pull her away, watching through blurry eyes as her world crumbled.

* * *

Tinya opened her eyes, blinking away the residue left by tears.

"Oh good, you are awake."

She sat up and saw a glowing purple eye in the shadows, watching her.

"I have a few questions for you, Tinya."

Then Brainiac Five stepped out of the shadows, and her heart broke. He was human in this world—or at least mostly. His left arm was robotic from the shoulder down, and the right side of his face had been replaced by metal and steel. He limped heavily on his right leg, and a scar slashed his left cheek.

"Brainy…"

Tinya flung her arms around him, tears flowing anew. "You aren't supposed to be this way. I know you aren't." She whispered, and he frowned.  
"Tinya, you are acting as if you are surprised by my appearance. I have been this way since the last stand. You were there—surely you remember."

He gestured at her face, and she whirled to a mirror. She hadn't seen this alternate version of herself, and when she caught sight of her reflection, she choked. Her hair was short and choppy, and her face had several new scars. But her eyes were the same, shocked and wide and horrified at this strange and terrible place.

"No! This isn't how it's supposed to be! Chuck and Luornu are married, Imra is pregnant, Phoenix is here and Niana is fighting with everyone!"

He stiffened, and she turned back to him. "Where is she, Brainy? Where is Niana?"

He clenched his human fist, face tightening.

"Niana Dox was executed by Imperiac Six three years ago. I've never told anyone about her. How do you know?"

She sat down on the bed, head in her hands. She was shaking, and the shock of so much loss hitting her all at once made her weak.

"She's a member of the Legion. She and Victor are so close to realizing their feelings for each other. She's alive, I saw her yesterday…"

Then she grabbed a small hologram that was still in her pocket—it was the only proof she had that this other world existed. Why it hadn't been affected by the change, she couldn't begin to guess, but she discovered that it held all the memories she needed.

"Look at this, Brainy. This is the way things are supposed to be—the way they are."

A hologram of thirteen year old Niana and the newest Legionnaire Victor Mancha laughing as they bent together over some new project, Triad and Bouncy walking down the aisle, Brin and herself sitting in front of some amusement park (she'd forgotten about that...) Imra's smiling face as she showed off her swelling stomach, Garth's arm around her shoulder as he grinned with pride and excitement…  
Phoenix and Brainy, laughing and smiling, holding hands as they walked down the hall.

She saw his eyes linger on their faces, his brow furrowing.

"You see, Brainy? This is the way it's supposed to be. Do you recognize her?"

He looked like he wanted to remember, but shook his head.

"That's Brogyn. _Your_ Brogyn. She's saved our lives several times, and she killed Imperiac!"

Then she froze, realization creeping over her. That was the only thing missing here. Could one person have influenced the world this much?

"Tinya…We don't use our Legion names anymore. We stopped that a long time ago. My name is Querl." He frowned deeply. "And I do not even know some of the people you are referring to. Who are Brogyn and Lyle and Victor?" Tinya stared at him, the shock twisting in her head.

"Lyle is Invisible Kid. He joined a couple years ago, and he's almost as smart as you are, but way more of a smart aleck. He's one of your best friends! Victor is a cyborg, a hero from the past that you and Niana brought back to life! Brogyn...Brainy, Brogyn is your girlfriend! She loves you to death!" Tinya snapped, making the Coluan jump back. "You and her have been together for years! How do you not know who she is?!"

She was breathing heavily as she sat down, holding her head in her hands. She had to be dreaming. That was it. This was just a nightmare, and none of this was real, and Niana and Imra and everyone else were all alive.

"OW!" She jumped as Querl pinched her. "What was that for?!"

"You were going into shock. Physical pain overrides mental compulsions." Querl sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Tinya, I don't know if I believe you right now or not. Give me time to reason this through before you go rushing off into action." He looked at her somewhat pleadingly. Tinya felt pained, but slowly nodded. A moment later, an alarm went off.  
"We have an emergency in quadrant 3. We need to get to the briefing."

* * *

Tinya rushed into the room behind Querl, stopping in shock. The Spartan room was devoid of anything other than the most important equipment; most off it look like it was held together by spot-welds and duct tape. She slowly walked over to the flat table screen, trying to adjust. Garth pulled up a file over the table.

"Several resistance fighters were discovered by Brainiac's forces in New Gotham three days ago. He is having them brought to Metropolis for energy leeching. Our job is to make sure he doesn't get his dirty hands on them." They immediately started leaving the room, Tinya staying near Brainy. "What's energy leeching?"

"Brainiac discovered a method to convert the energy of organic life forms to electrical energy to power his machines, leaving only organic bodies behind. The energy is used, the bodies disposed of, and more people killed." Querl replied flatly, the pain evident in his voice. Tinya's jaw dropped. "That's barbaric!" Brainy looked back over at her, pain in his eyes. "I know. He no longer possesses the capabilities to digitalize worlds, so now he settles for destroying them and crushing resistance, using the energy for his own gain."

Tinya stared at him, flabbergasted. "But...but that's horrible! How can this have happened?"

"Tinya." She turned to see her Brin standing there, his yellow eyes dark. "Querl told me that you apparently come from an alternate universe. Yes we know it sucks. But a long time ago, when the Legion disbanded, we all decided it was better to fight a losing war then to let our lives end willingly." Brin's voice was gruff and dark. Tinya swallowed and made herself speak.

"You can't be losing. It can't be that bad..."

"It is." Tinya spun to see a dark woman dressed all in black, a long scar marring her lovely face, her face serious and hard. Her hair was purple and orange, and her eyes were a shadowed violet. The phantom couldn't help it--her jaw dropped in shock. She felt as if she had been punched in the stomach, leaving a breathless pain.

"The best we've been able to do is save a few hundred humanoids--maybe more, maybe less. All we can do is hold off a direct confrontation." The Cargggite frowned a little at Tinya's expression. Tinya herself was almost in tears.

"Luornu...you aren't supposed to be like this." She felt tears welling up in her eyes before she swallowed hard and forced them down. Even so, pain wracked her heart. Triad was the kindest, sweetest, funniest, most lighthearted girl on the team. She never gave up. She never admitted a situation to being useless. She always held herself up in front of the others. She and Bouncy...they had been the first two legionnaires to figure out their feelings for crying out loud! But Bouncy was gone. And she was...different.

She had lost that happy, bubbly part of herself.

Suddenly the woman in her thoughts frowned, clutching her head and clenching her jaw. Reep carefully held her up as she swayed until she was able to stand on her feet again. "I'm fine. I'm fine."

Querl set a hand on her shoulder. "Bad?" He asked softly. Luornu nodded, her face expressionless. Tinya turned to Brin for an answer.

"One of her selves was captured by Brainiac a few years ago. From time to time he attempts to use that part of her to find out his plans. So far, she's never cracked." Tinya's heart cried out. It had been one thing for White to have been killed in the 41st century. But being tortured and not being able to reconvene with her other selves...it was an awful thought!

"Come on." The woman said coolly. "We have people to save."

* * *

The transport cruiser flew straight through rows and columns of cubes that made up the beginning of Brainiac's empire. The members of Resistance base Alpha--a.k.a., the former legionnaires--crouched on top of the building-sized cubes, cloaking technology making them invisible to the naked eye and most scanners.

"Q, you picking anything up?" Brin said softly, and Querl shook his head, robotic eye scanning the polluted air around them. Tinya was crouching behind Luornu, whose brow was still furrowed in pain.

"There."

Reep was sitting on the side of the building in the form of a raptor, sharp hawk eyes picking out the shuttle that would pass below them in only moments. He melted back to Durlan form and nodded at the others.

"In and out, rescue all resistance members, leave no others standing." Brin said with a frightening snarl, and he bulged and grew suddenly. With a battle cry that struck fear into even Tinya's heart, Resistance Alpha charged, leaping off the building and onto the transport, knocking it off balance and sending it careening to the earth. The robotic guards lifted their cannons, only to be ruthlessly attacked. Garth shredded them with bolts of lightning, sending hunks of metal flying with a fierce shout of rage. Luornu split into her two selves and smashed the sprock out of those robots, eyes hard and colder than Tinya had ever seen them. Tinya herself phased through them and pulled out wiring and circuitry, used to doing that at least. When the last of the guards had been obliterated, Orange and Purple got to work opening the cargo hold, while Brin ripped open the driver's door and pulled out a cybertronic creature. Tinya stiffened--it was alive and had free will, but it worked for Imperiac!

"We've got 15 live ones." Luornu called from the back as the other members of the Alpha Resistance squad. Brin held up the terrified driver. "And another one for the brigs. Maybe we can get something useful out of him."

Something useful out of him...Tinya held down the contents of her stomach as her brain processed the implications.

Torture. They would torture the meachanoid to get the information they wanted. There was no doubt in her mind of what the older, harder versions of her friends would do. She looked at the bot Brin was holding, her eyes suddenly widening.

"GET DOWN!" She cried, grabbing Luornu and Querl and yanking them back. Brin obeyed at her extreme reaction, a few seconds before it exploded. Garth and Brin looked down at the remains distastefully.

"He's getting smarter." Garth muttered, turning back to the members of the squad. "Alright, Luornu, Reep, Hart, get these people to a safe point. Q, you and I will stay here and try to get some information out of the recorders in the engine. Brin, Tinya, keep a subtle eye on the group when they go to the safe point, make sure they all get there without calling attention to yourself. MOVE IT!"

* * *

Tinya easily jumped from the rooftop to the other one, her older body used to the movement without a flight ring. Apparently she did this a lot here. Brin was next to her, moving quickly and silently, despite his blind eye. The refugees ran below them, speedy but cautious. She landed lightly, and he dropped behind her, not a sound coming from his combat booted feet. His brow was furrowed, and he kept flicking his head to the right, as if something was trying to sneak up on his blind side. She looked at him again and felt her heart cry out for him.

Before she knew what she was doing, she flung herself into his arms. She felt him stiffen, and she realized too late that in this world, things were different.

"Tinya, what are you doing?" He asked softly, his breath right in her ear. She normally felt so safe in those strong arms, but they refused to wrap around her. She jerked back, face flushing.

"Um...I...I'm sorry, Brin. I keep forgetting that things are different here." Her eyes filled, and she sobbed into her hands. "My heart is still in my world!" She said, and he gently touched her shoulder.

"What do you mean, Tinya? How are things different?"

She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his long dark hair that fell over his shoulder. "I love you, Brin. I know things are supposed to be different here, but Garth...it doesn't feel right. I know that this isn't how it's supposed to be." She whispered, tears falling into his tangled locks. She let go of him, but he held onto her arm tightly. Urgently.

"Is that true?"

His voice was almost desperate, as if the idea of being loved was too much for him. His bright yellow eye was staring intensely into hers, and his clouded grey eye followed without seeing.

Then she stepped forward and kissed him hard, willing him to believe--or maybe to remember. He didn't appear to know how to react, so when he pulled her closer, it surprised him as much as it did her. When he released her, he was looking slightly bewildered, and more like the Brin she knew and loved.

Her Brin.

"Tinya...I don't know how you can fix things, or if it's even possible. But I want to help you. Your world sounds...better."

Her eyes filled again, and she stroked his scarred right cheek.

"It is, Brin. It's so much better."

* * *

Tinya and Brin slipped in the back door, watching warily the security bots that patrolled the streets. She turned around and was engulfed by a pair of strong arms, but not the pair she was used to feeling.

"Tinya, I still think you should stay here more. I worry about you." He said softly, stroking her hair. She felt uncomfortable, but there was a tiny, faraway tingle of peace--the Tinya of this world really loved him the way she loved Brin.

"Yes, Garth, she will be staying from now on. But...perhaps you should take some time to explain to her more about her alternate self. She has the same body as our Tinya, but her mind is from another world. Keep this in mind, Garth."

He stuck his tongue out at Querl's retreating back, holding her closer. She wasn't sure he completely believed that she wasn't all there. He motioned for her to follow, and led her to a room down the hall. She slid the doors open manually--they had to conserve as much energy as possible--and found herself in a small room. There was one large bed with simple blankets and, in the corner, the beginnings of a cradle.

A cradle.

"I really don't think you should be out with the rest of us leaping off rooftops and going in and out of Phantom so often. You could hurt yourself or the baby."

Tinya felt the world dropping out from beneath her feet as her hands flew to her stomach, flat and innocent looking. "B-baby?" She stammered, hands beginning to tremble. Garth frowned, taking her shaking hands in his.

"Tinya, are you alright? You act like you forgot." He looked conflicted for a moment before tilting her face up to look at him.

"Are you really from...you know, a different world?"

She was still trembling, the almost imperceptible bulge of her stomach seeming to pulse beneath her hand. Pregnant? Her? This could change everything...

No. It wouldn't. She _had_ to fix things, no matter what the sacrifices or the price.

"Yeah. I actually am, believe it or not." She said shakily. He sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the space beside him. She sat down, trying to swallow the huge, rock hard lump that had formed in her throat.

"Tell me about your life. What's it like there?"

She swallowed again, the lump softening. "It's..." The woman paused, sudden thought rising up in her mind before she bashed it down. "It's better Garth. It's so, so much better."

"Tell me about it." She looked up at him in surprise, his electric eyes soft and sad. Tinya gave a sad smile. "Well...there aren't any megalomaniacs in charge. My mom retired from being the President a few years ago. The Legion is still alive and thriving." She paused for a moment, thinking. Garth cleared his throat. "What about...us?" Tinya gave him a look before comprehension caught on. "Us? Um..." She looked down. "There isn't an us. We're friends but...no." Garth nodded, looking down again. "Imra is alive though. We were just talking about whether the baby would look more like her or you when I got...readjusted." The Winathian looked up in shock. "Imra... alive and...Pregnant?"

"Yeah." She looked up and met his eyes, giving him a gentle smile. "You've been married to her for 3 years." She chuckled leaning back on the bed and pulling her legs up close to her. "You would always beat the crap out of Invisible Kid anytime he brought up your honeymoon."

"Who's Invisi...never mind. What about you?" She looked up, surprised. "Me?"

"Yes, you. Of course I'm curious what happens to you--you've been my...well...girlfriend for years, and I'm curious about you in your world." Tinya blushed a little, playing with her choppy hair. "Well...I'm engaged..." She muttered. Garth's eyebrow shot up. "To whom?"

"Um...Brin?" She said, hiding a smile. Garth's eyes went wide and a tiny smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Well that's...unexpected." He laughed as the woman shot him a look. "Sorry, I don't think I've ever seen our leader be anything close to romantic." Tinya rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you wouldn't expect Querl to be like that either."

Now the man made a really disbelieving sound. "Now you're pulling my leg. Our Querl? Even remotely interested in anyone?"

Tinya gave another sad smile. "You don't know her. Phoenix and Tesla are from the past..." She trailed off thinking. "Sprock, that's it!" She exclaimed, jumping up and pacing. "Brainy met Phoenix in the past on accident after the first Brainiac incident. After that, she melted his armor when he kidnapped Brainy again and helped us stop the anti-Legion from getting too powerful!" Tinya was grinning with glee, stopping for a moment.

"Wow. I never would have guessed that she had that big of a role in our past." She clapped her hands together, grinning. "So all we have to do is use the warp key, go back, and make younger Brainy and Brogyn meet!"

"Yeah, slight problem with your plan Princess." Tinya stared at Garth in shock as he lifted his hands in defense. "Sorry, but I'm going to pretend I have a remote clue about what you're talking about and tell you my take on it." The smile faded as he went serious. "Hate to break it to you, but...ah...the reason Brainiac 1.0 got so powerful so fast was because..."

Tinya pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't tell me. He stole the warp key."

"Yes. And Querl doesn't have the materials he needs to make a new one." Tinya sighed and smacked her forehead, sitting down hard on the bed again, falling back into despair, her arms wrapped around her stomach. Garth grinned as she stood. "Maybe not..."

"Yes, you're logic seems sound." Querl said mildly as he sat as his bench, not even looking up as he rewelded a spark transmitter. Tinya tapped her finger on the desk. Brin and Garth both stood there, listening to her plan as everyone else got their rest.

"You're not listening to me Brainy. And yes, I did just call you that." She said coolly as Querl looked back up at her in surprise. "If one or two people changed history that much, what if they can turn the tide again?"

Querl looked up at her slowly, skeptically. "Tinya, I highly doubt that two single human beings can make such a difference in the timestream when it has been altered so greatly at this point."

"Which is why we need their help to get the warp key!" Tinya exclaimed. Querl looked down as she continued talking. "Listen, you need all the extra hands you need! I know where you can get two perfectly good fighters who will be willing to help! All I need is the Time-bubble tech!" She slammed a hand down on the table.

"Sprock it, would you just let me try!"

All three men stared at her before Querl slowly stood. "Alright. You and I will return to the past for a couple of hours to see if we can verify this." He walked back and went to a safe, carefully opening the lock.

"You do realize that the time-bubble tech has been set for exactly 1000 years in the past for several years now and I can no longer adjust the time."

"That's fine as long as we find them." Tinya said grimly as Querl unearthed the time bubble tech and walked back to her. He looked at his two comrades.

"We'll return in a couple hours." He said before typing the coordinates and he and the woman next to him disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

_Well, there you have it. I hope none of the SG/LL fans kill me, but it isn't permanent! I promise!  
Hope you review, because it makes me super-happy._

_In Chapter Two: Two past lovers meet, and a friend is lost? Is the Brogyn of this new world really the same one she left behind? And what happens when Brogyn and Querl can't even stand each other?! _


	2. INJURED SOULS

_Hey guys! Here's Chapter Two, hope you like it. We get to learn a little bit about the Last Stand with Imperiac that took so many of our Beloved Legionnaires from us. We also get to see Brogyn punch Querl. Anyway, just wait and see.  
I don't own the Legion of Superheroes. And even if I did, I would never do this to them in real life. I'm such a terrible person. :'(_

_READ it, REVIEW it, but most of all ENJOY IT!!!_

* * *

FLAMES FADE

CHAPTER TWO:

INJURED SOULS

"There she is." Tinya said softly in the mall's food court. Querl looked over at the table she was gesturing too. A blond girl sat there, laughing, along with a serious dark-haired girl, and a couple of other guys and girls. "Neither of them look like fighters. Much less as though they have powers." Tinya smiled wanly. "Don't underestimate her--you fell for her."

"I still find that highly illogical."

"Oh cork it. We need to talk to her...and here's our chance." Most of the other kids were standing up and leaving, and Brogyn and Lexa sat there, still talking. Tinya stood and dragged Querl over to the other table, both of them having holograms to hide their true identities. Tinya smiled as they stopped. "Excuse me; can we talk to you two for a minute?"

Brogyn and Lexa looked up, conversation at the table dying.

"Um...do we know you?"

Tinya was trying to decide how to phrase their problem when Querl blundered to the rescue.

"We are from the future."

Brogyn snorted rudely, and Lexa just rolled her eyes.

"Brogyn, Lexa, we only need to talk to you. Please...I know you probably won't believe us, but an entire future rests on the two of you."

Brogyn wasn't laughing anymore, and she looked at Lexa pleadingly. Lexa shrugged and motioned for the two to continue on. Tinya sat down, Querl sitting across from her.

"So...any proof that you're from the future?" Lexa asked casually. Tinya shrugged, phasing her hand through the table.

Both girls looked shocked. "Ok, I believe you." Brogyn said. Lexa flipped her hair to the side as Tinya stared for a second--it was a little disconcerting to see her serious friend with a bob cut.

She sighed. "Ok, put bluntly, the future got messed up because neither of you came to the future when you were supposed to. We needed your help then. And we need it now." Querl snorted, making Brogyn glare at him as Lexa looked puzzled.

Tinya jabbed her elbow into Querl's ribs. "Help me out here!"

"I still am highly doubtful of all this."

Tinya growled under her breath as Brogyn cleared her throat. "Look, you're both really nice, but we're just a couple of kids in college. What do we have to do with the future and turning the tide on some super-war?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth then the ceiling of the food court was blown in, scattered pedestrians like leaves in the wind. In flew a large, metallic shape, laser-like eyes sweeping the court. Imperiac had gotten an upgrade from his tiny body to this machine of war.

Brogyn and Lexa's jaws dropped. "Ok, we believe you. Who's that?" Lexa asked quietly. Querl and Tinya were already standing, shifting into defensive positions as the robot flew down. Querl leaned back towards Tinya.

"Tinya, reset the time bubble tech now and get ready to get us back to the future." She nodded, slowly reaching for her pocket.

Imperiac landed in front of them, his voice emotionless. "I have no quarrel with those from the future. Step aside and you will be allowed to exist a little longer."

Querl lifted his mechanical arm, but someone else got there first. Lexa hurled herself forward, crackling with energy and slamming Brainiac back. Fire twisted around Brogyn's hands as she hurled fistfuls of the stuff at the mechanical man, protecting her home and her friends. Tinya finished programming the tech. "Ok, it's ready, everyone in!"

Tinya and Brogyn jumped in, Brogyn practically diving for cover, as Querl hopped in lightly, still firing out. Brogyn looked out. "Lexa, get in!"

The brown haired girl looked at the robot pulling himself up before turning back with a soft smile. "Get back to your own time and stop this idiot from coming here. Then I'll come visit." She hurled a lightning bolt at the time bubble, speeding up its recharge before turning back to the bot, falling to a defensive position, her fists sparkling. Brogyn's eyes widened as she beat the side of the time bubble. "No! Lexa! LEXA!"

The time bubble disappeared as the three travelers saw Imperiac getting up, pointing a laser cannon at the storm-controller...

* * *

Light exploded in the middle of the main room as the time bubble reappeared. All three of the adults were thrown out of the bubble into a clump. Brainy stood and dusted himself up as Brogyn sat on the ground, shocked. "Lexa...why Lexa?" She murmured, eyes slightly unfocused. Her hands were trembling, and Tinya knelt down next to her as Querl watched slightly distastefully.

"Brogyn, let me tell you something. Lexa isn't really gone. In the world I'm from--the one we're going to restore, if you'll help--she's happy, healthy and, believe it or not, in love."

Brogyn looked up, her blue eyes refocusing. Tinya saw them harden and take on a steely look she had never seen in them before--instead of their usual gentle blue green, they were now an impenetrable blue-grey. She stood up, fists clenched.

"I don't know what good I'll be in this war of yours. But I'm in."

She walked off after Luornu, head high and expression determined. Tinya felt another pang--even Brogyn was different in this world. The one person she thought could never change...

"Tinya, I hope you know what you are doing." Querl said softly and disappeared down the hall. Tinya looked after him. "I hope so too." She murmured.

* * *

"Alright, welcome the newest member of Resistance Squad Alpha--Brogyn Aiden from the 21st century." The blonde girl looked around at the assembled members of the team. Garth was carefully keeping his face expressionless, Luornu looked disbelieving, Reep, Hart, and Val looked curious, and Brin...

...if anything, the wolfish man was skeptical.

"Tinya, do you really believe one additional fighter can change anything?"

The blonde glared at him. "We're going to win this fight, or die trying. And I'll either win with you or die with you."

Everyone stared at her before Garth cleared his throat. "Well. It looks like you'll fit right in."

Brogyn cracked a faintly bitter grin before Brin jumped into action, leading them. "Querl, I want you to get on decrypting the data. Luornu, Reep, get on the monitors for any new traffic. Hart, Garth, report to sparring. Tinya, you and...Brogyn will work with Querl in the lab. I want that data translated as soon as possible. Get on it."

* * *

Tinya looked up at the other two silent adults. Brogyn was simply given the job of uploading the data and storing the successfully translated data. Querl was actually doing the translations. They had barely said a word to each other in the three hours they had been there. Really, how had they ended up together in her world? She had never seen Brogyn this silent--or this still. Normally the former 'bubble head' as several legionnaires had fondly referred to as was an expert at starting conversations. The Bgztlan stretched, feeling exhaustion come over her, and there was no doubt in her mind that it may have had something to do with the developing creation in her.

"Um..." She stood, the silence getting to her. "I'm going to head to bed, I'm already exhausted." She started walking out, the silence worrying her. "Don't stay up all night or anything." She said. As she left, a melancholy feeling came over her. She doubted Querl and Brogyn falling for each other in this world.

* * *

Brogyn clicked the button to upload more files continuously, bored out of her skull. This was the only thing that Querl had trusted her to do, and she was slightly irked by this fact.

"So..."

She waited for a response, but one never came. He didn't even acknowledge her existence.

"That would be me trying to initiate conversation. Obviously you aren't interested, so I'll shut up now." She said, and he continued to ignore her.

"Jerk."

He finally looked up, frowning. "That word is no longer used. What does it mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "It basically means that you're a stuck-up loser."

His human eye narrowed, and his glowing robotic eye darkened angrily. "You are not much better yourself."

She snorted rudely as he went back to his incessant tapping of keys, eyes focused studiously ahead.

"I don't see how we ever would have gotten along. The whole thing with you and me in another world...I don't see it happening. I don't know if I can believe Tinya in that." At this Querl looked up, seeing Brogyn toying with a small screwdriver.

"Her logic and reasoning are sound. And in any case, regaining the warp key from Imperiac would be an enormous step forward in victory." Querl said mildly. He thought for a moment, choosing to do what others called...empathizing with another emotions. Was that correct? "I do apologize for what happened to your friend. It was a regretful incident."

He got a momentary look at enraged eyes and flaming hair right before...

SMACK!

The next thing the half-meachanoid knew, he had been shoved out of his chair onto his back on the floor, and Brogyn was standing above him breathing hard and glaring daggers. "Not only was that completely rude and off-topic, but you do NOT need to bring that up, thank you very much!" She stomped out of the room, muttering death threats under her breath as Querl stared after her in shock.  
He knew that if there was one thing he would never ever be able to process, it would be the workings of a female mind.

* * *

Light filtered through the grimy windows of Resistance HQ, and Tinya opened her eyes. She saw the small, simple room, the unfinished cradle in the corner, the black-out curtains that let in only a crack of light due to incorrect closing the night before. She sat up and saw the shaggy red head on the pillow beside her, and she felt a stab of pain along with some strange sense of happiness buried deep inside her.

This world wasn't so terrible, when you thought about it. She looked over at a sleeping Garth again. His metallic arm was on top of the covers, his breathing calm and even. He looked...relaxed. Peaceful. Something she hadn't yet seen on anyone of this world. His jacket was slung over the side of the bed, a little rumpled. It made her smile a little--no matter what world she was in, it looked like Garth would always be messy.

She slipped out of the bed and out the door, noting the Resistance Team's annoying habit to only have one pair of clothes to sleep in and fight in. Lovely.

She entered the kitchen area, and instead of the usual lively chatter and conversation, there were only a few hushed voices and too many sad, scarred faces. She sat down at the counter beside Brogyn, who was looking groggy and disoriented with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Good morning, Phoenix." Tinya sighed, and Brogyn looked at her sharply.

"I meant Brogyn, sorry. I'm just used to Phoenix."

Brogyn shrugged, nibbling half-heartedly on a bagel. She looked absolutely horrible, and there were dark circles under her eyes Tinya had never seen before. The phaser sat down across from her, picking at her own food. Not being able to stand the silence, she stood up quickly and walked out of the room, down the hall. Turning a corner, she suddenly stopped. There was a doorway she hadn't seen there before. Curiosity rising in her, she walked through to see a totally white room, a single pillar on the other end. Walking down the expanse of the room, she saw that the pillar had names engraved into it.

Rokk Krinn--Cosmic Boy

Chuck Taine--Bouncing Boy

Nura Nal--Dream Girl

Salu Digby--Shrinking Violet

Val Amorr--Karate Kid

Dirk Morgna--Sun Boy

Thom Kallor--Star Boy

Jan Arrah--Element Lad

Tyroc, Blok, Matter-Eater Lad, Colossal Boy...

Gone. All gone.

And Imra Ardeen--Saturn Girl. Tinya reached up and gently touched the name, pain shooting through her at the thought of her closest friend. "Saturn Girl..."

Suddenly the room lit up as Tinya jumped back in surprise. Pictures, video clips, data readings...all of them sliding along the wall. Imra laughing, fighting, saving the day, developing her powers, hanging out with friends....posts of some of the things he had done, all the way back to when she, Cos, and Garth had saved R.J. Brande from his employee Doyle. Tinya sat down on a bench in the middle of the room, the memorial of her friend flying across the ceiling. It continued for a few more minutes until the pictures started to fade, leaving Tinya with a blank wall.

"Here" She turned to see Brainy standing there, a tissue in his hand. She hadn't even realized she had been crying. Taking the tissue with a shaking hand, wiping off her cheeks as Brainy sat down next to her.

"I had forgotten once again--you wouldn't remember this." He touched the side of the wall. "This is the Memorial room for the fallen. I built it. Whenever the name of a fallen one is spoken, the room brings up any of the files I've downloaded and projects them." He looked down as Tinya got control of herself again. She finally caught her breath, taking a deep breath as the tears stopped. "I'm sorry. It's just...it's hard."

"...I suppose I understand." Tinya looked over at the green boy. He looked...almost sad. Meeting her eyes, he ran his fingers through his hair. "This may seem...out of character, but I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that your alternate reality is real. What is it like?"

Tinya stared at him before thinking. "It's...well, not peaceful, but not as chaotic as this world. The legion is still together. We're all happy. We have some new members. My mom ran for her final term not too long ago and won. And..." She wasn't sure how to continue.

"We're all really happy there. The Hall of Fallen Heroes is a lot emptier, I'll tell you that."

He didn't seem to detect her sarcasm, or chose to ignore it.

"And I am...happier there?"

She looked up in surprise to see him looking to her with hopeful, trusting eyes. That was when she realized how much they all wanted to believe her. They _wanted_ desperately to believe that there was something better than this--almost like heaven, she thought offhandedly. She stepped forward and took both of Brainy's hands--robotic and human--closing her eyes as more tears tried to force their way down her cheek.

"You practically float around half the time, you're so happy. You've got a sister who needs you--even though she doesn't know how to show it most of the time--and a woman who loves you to death. The entire world seemed pretty perfect before...before it changed."

He looked down, doubt clouding his eye. "How will we know if we somehow manage to set it right again? What if it isn't right?" He murmured, rubbing his organic hand against his metallic one.

"Well, it can't be any worse than what we've got." Both young adults looked up to see Brin leaning against the door, looking...saddened, but calm. "If we can get the warp key...even if it means making a final stand against Imperiac...it has to be better then continuing to run and hide."

Tinya took a deep breath before standing and nodding. "I'll do whatever it takes. Wherever you need me, I'll help."

* * *

Garth subtly walked over to Hart as he watched Luornu, Reep, and Brogyn spar. "So, think she can keep up?" Hart nodded, the former hero's eyes never leaving the trio.

"She's a lot better than we thought she would be. I'd be willing to trust her in a fight. She's a little...erratic, but given the nature of her powers..." He shrugged, apparently willing to fully accept Brogyn onto the team.

Garth nodded. "Alright. Has Querl reported any news from the carrier?"

"Some new targets, plans to hunt down the resistance...and a reward."

Garth turned to stare the shorter man in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"Imperiac is offering a reward for our capture. Anyone who turns us over gets to keep their home planet and any remaining people on that planet." Garth's fists balled up. "Sprock. Some of the resistance and the fugitives don't have a homeworld anymore..."

"But a lot of them do." Hart said quietly, his eyes solemn. "We can't play the waiting game anymore Garth. We have to move to the offensive on our terms before someone tips Imperiac off."

Garth went back to watching the sparring matches. "We might have to."

* * *

Querl didn't look up from the adjustments when he heard the door slide open--he had repairs to make and nothing was going to stop him. He did however look up when he heard a sharp intake of breath. Luornu and Brogyn were standing there, the former with an expression of unimpressed boredom, the latter shocked. "What...what..."

Querl looked down at his robotic arm, the metallic innards exposed to the open air as he worked. "I am performing maintenance. It is crucial to keep my arm working at full capacity."

Luornu shrugged and moved on to get whatever it was she needed, but Brogyn jut gawked. He sighed, her watchful eyes distracting him from his work.

"Do you need something?" He asked as Luornu left, leaving them alone. She shook her head, but her eye wandered. His arm, his leg, his face...

"How did...um...how did that happen?" She asked, and he gestured to a chair so she would stop hovering and let him work.

"It was during the last stand with Imperiac. We had gathered as the Legion to..."

_"...stand against this evil! We are here today to show him we will never roll over and die! We are the Legion of Superheroes! Now let's fight like we know who we are! Let history remember this day!"  
Cosmic Boy stood above the crowd, fist held high in the air. Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl stood behind him, their three ever-present leaders. Brainy looked around--everyone was so strong, so brave. This could be the end--they all knew it, and they all had already accepted it. They would fight to the finish; he knew that much._

_"FOR THE LEGION!!!" Cosmic Boy cried, and the shout was echoed._

_"FOR The UNIVERSE!!!" Saturn Girl called, and again it echoed back against the dark city buildings around them. _

_"FOR THE FUTURE!!!" Lightning Lad pumped his fist forward, and the mass of heroes charged forward, taking the streets of New Metropolis by storm and closing quickly on Imperiac's Palace._

_It really wasn't a palace--it was more of a dome, built of solid, crystal clear hepatanium. Nothing would get through it without a fight. But as the Legion roared forward, the dome splintered, leaving a gaping hole behind as they charged. The concrete surrounding the building inside of the dome was empty, seemingly undefended. _

_Until the air shimmered around them, and dozens upon dozens of Imperiac's specialized Doom Bots appeared, lasers at the ready. _

_But the Legion was ready, and without losing a beat they launched into the fierce battle for everything they knew and cared about--_

"Querl!"

He blinked and looked up to see Brogyn snapping her fingers, looking annoyed. "You zoned out. You never answered my question past 'The Legion gathered to fight for their lives', and something about a guy named Cosmic Boy. Isn't there more to the story?"

He nodded with a sigh, passing a weary hand over his face. That's all this was to her, he realized--a story. A fairytale that would disappear when she clicked her heels.

"We were surrounded, outnumbered and hopelessly outmatched, but..."

_...the Legion battled on. Fierce, resilient, unyielding. _

_Cosmic Boy had never been more proud of his team than at that moment. Even as he watched Dream Girl smiled peacefully as she died, he knew that they had fought well. They would be remembered, for what it was worth. _

_"ROKK!"_

_He whirled, and saw a sight that would haunt him for the short remainder of his life. Lightning Lad, on his knees, tears streaming down his face as he blasted a circle of destruction around himself and the still form in his arms._

_Imra._

_"Imra!" Cosmic Boy rushed forward, setting in place a force field around them that would block anything that tried to get in that wasn't organic. Several other wounded Legionnaires paused a moment inside of it. Cosmic Boy brushed a bloodstained lock of hair out of her eyes, feeling his hand tremble slightly._

_Imra looked peaceful, although she was covered in her own blood. As his hand brushed her cheek, her eyes fluttered open, and she looked around with understanding eyes. _

_"You led us well, Rokk." She said softly, touching his hand. "You did more than any other leader could have done. We are all proud of you."_

_Her eyes moved from his face to Lightning Lad's, and her face softened into an expression of glowing love. _

_"Goodbye Garth. I lo--"_

_She suddenly broke off as her heart stopped, and unpredictably violent end to her peaceful goodbyes. Her head fell back, her eyes open and still staring into space. Lightning Lad roared in animal fury and blasted a hole through at least five Doom Bots at once, shooting off into the crowd. _

_'I pity anything that gets in his way.' Cosmic Boy thought as he covered Imra in a hasty tomb of compressed Doom Bot parts. _

_It wasn't good enough, and if they lived through this, they would give her a proper burial. _

_He only hoped they would have the chance._

_On the other side of the Dome, Brainy and Shrinking Violet fought side-by-side with Sun Boy, Matter-Eater Lad and Karate Kid. They had formed a protective ring around the injured Bouncing Boy, Element Lad and Star Boy. They were all trying to get themselves together enough to battle on as their teammates protected them. _

_"NO!"_

Suddenly Violet fell, and Sun Boy dropped to his knees to catch her--although he knew she was already gone, the light faded from her eyes. Karate Kid stepped in front of them, fending off blows with his armor and taking hits he knew would kill him to protect them.

_And then time seemed to stop for Brainy as a small but terrifying figure rose from the crowd of bots. "Brainiac Five." Brainy put up a defensive shield around them, but he knew it would do no good. Again, as if in slow-motion, Imperiac made a facial expression something like a smile and dropped a small something through Brainy's shield. _

_When he realized what it was it was already too late. _

_"AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!" _

_The explosion ripped across the battlefield, digging out a hole in the concrete and vaporizing the Bots in the area. _

_Brainy watched as his companions turned to ash around him, and he realized that his shield had contracted to cover only him. Even it was not enough to save him, and he felt the pain rip through him. His arm--no, his shoulder--was burning, agony flaring there even as he felt absolutely nothing from his arm below it. His leg was on fire as well, and he crumpled to the scorched earth. His face was scalding, burning, flaming in pain as he hit the ground. _

_And then there was nothing but the screams and explosions around him until he awoke in a tiny room underground many hours later, one of the only surviving members of the once great Legion of Superheroes._

"I was the sole survivor of the group I was assigned to lead. They all died, but I survived."

His voice was blunt, but tears were leaking down her face even as he told the story emotionlessly.

"I didn't know...I didn't mean to offend you." She said softly, and he looked at her sharply.

"I am in no way offended. I was merely telling you the way it happened. I do not expect pity or sympathy."

But even as he said it she flung her arms around him, sobbing. "You were all so brave! And all you got was this? It isn't right! It's not fair! Why did they all have to die?!" She cried, and he shoved her away in anger.

"On the improbable chance that you didn't notice, LIFE ISN'T FAIR! Stop living in your fairy world and get back to reality! This is our life and it's not going to change, so either help us do some Sprocking thing about it or die now before you die later!" He shouted, his sudden burst of rage making her stumble back to the extent of tripping on the chair and falling back, landing with a painful CLANG on the hard metal floor. He turned and left swiftly, leaving her to be angry at herself.

* * *

_So now you know a little more about the end of the Legion of Superheroes. If you lose track of everyone who died, I'll just give you the list of people who lived: Garth, Reep, Hart, Luornu, Tinya, Querl, Brin. That's it. Sad, depressing, I'm a terrible person and I know it._

_Review please! But no flames, even though I'm a horrible person for killing everyone!!!!_

_-Defiance-_

_In Chapter Three: Tinya feels the pressure of being forced to choose between two worlds, and how can the group possibly survive the battle with Imperiac?_


	3. HERE AT THE END OF ALL THINGS

_Wow this story seems uber short...but I actually finished it, which is a rare thing!!!!  
Don't sue me for killing people, if you don't want people to die don't read this story!! Although I can give you a spoiler and tell you that there's a happy ending...maybe...  
READ it, REVIEW it, but most of all ENJOY IT!!!!_

* * *

FLAMES FADE

CHAPTER THREE:

HERE AT THE END OF ALL THINGS

"You do realize we are as likely to survive this battle with Imperiac as we were the first time?"

Brin sighed, standing up lithely as Querl joined him on their concealed little balcony. "Yeah, Querl, I know. I know full well that I'll be leading my team into a sprocking death trap. Thanks for reminding me."

Querl shrugged, his chin length hair blowing about his face in the wind. "I am only being honest, Brin. You have led us well all these years."

Brin growled, stalking to the edge and looking down on the smoggy streets. "Yeah, well you could try being tactful instead of blunt sometime."

"Tact has no place in our world anymore, Brin."

Brin sighed again and went inside, leaving Querl on the balcony.

"You ok?"

Tinya had bumped into Brin on the way back in, and she didn't seem to be aware of Querl's presence there. Brin sighed again, and she placed a hand on his scarred cheek.

"Oh, Brin...you can't bear everyone's burdens." She said softly, running a hand through his long, thick hair. He took her hands in his and pushed them away, looking sad.

"Not here or now, Tinya. Not ever, in this world." He turned to leave, but looked back. "And I can try, can't I?"

She choked down a sob, and the leader swept out of the room, long coat swirling as she sobbed into her hands.

"Tinya?"

Querl had stood up, and she jerked in surprise. Her eyes were still leaking tears, and he noticed her shaking hands.

"You care for Brin in your world, do you not?"

She sat down heavily with a sigh and nodded, dropping her head into her hands. Suddenly she looked back up, eyes panicked. "What if this doesn't work? What if...what if this only messes everything up more?" A spot of water appeared in her lap. "If any of you were hurt...or killed..."

"That's a risk we all knew we would take."

Tinya and Querl spun to see Luornu and Reep standing there, the latter quietly handing something to Querl. Luornu sat next to Tinya, eyes revealing utter exhaustion. "We all knew that we would have to make a last stand someday. All the resistance has been is holding off the inevitable." She looked into Tinya's eyes, fiery passion burning. "If we get killed, better that we do it resisting Imperiac and taking down however much of his work as we can." She suddenly winced and pressed a hand to her side before she went on.

"We are all willing to make that sacrifice, just like the sacrifice the rest of the Legion gave years ago."

Tinya watched Luornu carefully as she spoke and realized something. Even after all this time, she still missed Chuck. All of them had lost loved ones, and they were willing to give everything to hopefully give future generations the gift of freedom.

"They died for us then, we're willing to die for your Legion now."

A gentle hand rested on Tinya's knee, and Reep smiled softly. So quiet, so somber...so unlike Cham.

She nodded and stood up, new resolve hardening her. "Then I say let's go show Imperiac who's boss!"

* * *

"Alright, so this is the construction specs for Imperiac headquarters." Tinya looked around the room at the gathered resistance members, some faces she did know, others she had never seen before. Brin was handling a hologram as it showed a three dimensional hologram of a large building.

"There are only three entrances at ground level, heavily guarded, and no windows. There is an entry pad for incoming vessels, also heavily guarded. Attacking through any of these entrances would be instant suicide. Our best bet for getting in..." At this, the hologram lifted to show an underground portion of the city.

"...would be the sewer. There would be minimal detectors and give us the element of surprise." A red beam highlighted a route from the bottom of the tower to a central chamber.

"The warp key is held in one of Imperiac's labs at the very center of the building." Blue points started appearing all over the building. "Imperiac's drones keep a tight, round the clock schedule. Part of our plan is for Querl to receive access to a computer terminal and hopefully make some changes to his drones programming. Garth, Luornu, Reep, and Squad Zero, all of you cover Querl and make sure he gets to a terminal." They all nodded. The green path was outlined from the entry point to the nearest computer.

"We'll rendezvous with you the floor below the lab. Half of us will go towards the energy chambers as a distraction. The other half will attack the warp key lab." Brin surveyed the group, seeing eye cool and hard.

"I understand that this plan could well get most of us killed. It's been an honor serving with all of you, and I'm grateful to have met everyone here."

Then he flicked his hand towards the door, and the Resistance slipped away to meld with the darkness. Tinya looked over at Brin for a brief moment before he faded away as well.

It looked like it was time to do or die.

* * *

The thirty-odd members of the Resistance group crouched low to the dirty water in the sewer line, eyes and ears alert. They moved forward with barely a whisper of sound, trained in the art of moving undetected.

"How much farther to the entry point?" Brin whispered to Querl, who shot a glance at his robotic arm.

"Several yards. We are nearly there." He pointed up into a pipe that was pouring out of another system. "That is our way in."

Brogyn coughed a little, choking on the stagnant air. "You said it was a few yards in...how are we supposed to breathe through several yards of running water pushing back at us?"

Querl started pulling small pins out of his pocket. "Personal shields. It will keep the water at bay until we get to the drains. Unfortunately, they will not provide much protection from Phasers." He said, tossing one to each member.

They activated their shields and began the long, foul trek up the sewer lines, one at a time in single file until Brin popped the entrance hole and they crawled out into Imperiac's fortress.

Throwing out his arm, he kept the group from moving forward. "I have to check something." Pulling a small device out of a pocket, he pointed it towards the hallway. Bright blue patches appeared in several areas over the walls, ceiling, and floor. "Anywhere that's blue is covered by a security camera. Avoid the blue, avoid the cameras."

Brin's keen eye scanned the hall. Most of it was covered in blue, but there were a few blind spots. He looked back. "Tinya, we're going to need invisibility and intangibility to get through. Think you're up for it?"

The dark haired woman looked around at all the people, then took a deep breath of determination. "Alright. I'll...I'll try."

Reaching out, everyone joined hands as Tinya pulled her power on. Within a few moments, Resistance Squads Alpha, Beta, and Omega were all moving silently down the hallway, as stealthy as ghosts. Finally passing through the last door, Tinya let go, all of the Resistance members phasing back to their own three dimensions as Tinya collapsed to her knees for a moment, breathing hard.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." She murmured as she stood back up. A little wobbly, but nothing she couldn't handle. Luornu and Hart pulled out long thin plasma blasters, looking around the corners before signaling the coast was clear.

"Beta and Omega teams, head for the energy labs. Alpha team, we need a computer terminal and the warp key. Move out." The other squads melted down the hall as the former Legion members went their own direction.

Garth looked down at the building schematics. "There should be a terminal two hallways to the left."

"Let's move. Garth, Tinya, cover Querl. Everyone else, move on." The team split again, and Tinya watched with more than a little apprehension as her teammates...no, her friends...left. The threesome continued in silence until they came to an empty corridor, where Querl gestured.

"This is it. We have to move fast." Tinya silently reached out and grabbed them both, rendering them all invisible until they slipped into the room and they closed the door.

Querl plopped down in front of the screen, typing rapidly. "Coluan. He reconfigured all the original systems into a Coluan dialect."

"Can you get through it?" Garth asked, eyes not leaving the door.

He didn't look up as his typing grew even more feverish. "Of course. Just because I have not read it in some time doesn't mean I no longer can." He snapped, and Garth backed off.

"Got it." The computer screen blinked to life, and Querl's eyes flashed over the screen faster than any human would have been able to register the images.

"He's keeping it in his personal archives. It's three halls down and the fifth door on the left."  
They leaped into action, slipping down hallway after hallway beneath the security cams and guard bots until they reached the designated door. Querl blew the computer lock, disarming the security system. "We'll have to hurry; I wouldn't have it past him to have several backup systems that will come online quickly!"

"How much time do you think we have?" Tinya asked quickly as they ran down the hall. Querl made a neutral sound. "His systems are probably very quick, but I've set up a spider virus that should hopefully keep him at bay for a few minutes. He may be more powerful, but I still have a higher intellect."

"Great, now let's get to that lab and meet up with the rest of Alpha squad." Garth said, firing lightning at every light source they saw. Many security droids now lay in ruins.

The Archives door slid open noiselessly, and Querl, Tinya, Garth and the regiment they had run into--Brogyn and two resistance Beta members--stepped into the room. The lights flashed on suddenly, making them blink in surprise at the sudden change from gloom to lab condition brightness.

One of the resistance Beta members--a Tamaranian named Najira--recovered first, and she made a strangled choking sound that made Tinya force her eyes open despite the brightness of the room. At first she saw only manikins in glass cases along the length of the stainless steel room, but when she recognized one of the faces, her blood froze in her veins.

They weren't manikins.

"Oh Goddess..."

Dozens of corpses, perfectly preserved since their day of death, lined the walls like some twisted museum display, some eyes open and staring glassily at them, others closed. They were still dressed in their tattered uniforms, and some displayed the burned flag or ring or belt of their once great team. The Embellished L with a star glared out at them at every turn, reminding them just how many had died fighting Imperiac.

Garth stumbled forward, face in pain as he touched the glass of Imra's tomb. She looked more serene than the others, but her charred uniform told of her violent death. Beside her stood Rokk, his murky, flat eyes staring out firmly even in death. Half of his face was red and blistered from laser burns, and the dark red bloodstain on his chest along with the Dominator Lance hanging like a trophy on the wall behind him, proved his cause of death.

Brainiac was now called Imperiac for a reason--Imperiex's influence was obviously very prominent.

Brogyn made a choking sound and turned away, this grisly scene too much for even this hardened version of her. Tinya, much softer than the already horrified people around her turned and nearly retched, tears cascading down her cheeks. Garth rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, brow furrowed and eyes angry. Querl was the only one who seemed unfazed, and he and the Zamuran man from Beta continued the search for the Warp key.

"Is this the thing?" The Zamuran--Leif--called, and Querl came, avoiding the anguished faces of Jo and Jan on either side of the smaller case, standing like sentinels.

The warp Key rested innocently on a pedestal, but Querl's sharp eyes caught the alarms that lined it like a spiderweb. "I'll have to blow it. It will be only seconds before we are found." He said, and the others joined him, Garth holding Tinya's hand firmly between his human and metal ones.

"We will contact the rest of the team and tell them to get to the courtyard--we will have to fight off Imperiac's forces while I program the warp key for Tinya."

He looked at her, his eyes severe. "Can you take the key and return the world to its rightful order alone?"

She took a breath, suddenly feeling strength well up in her. "Yes. Yes I can."

Querl turned back to the case, and Garth kissed her hair, murmuring, "That's my girl."

"All resistance Beta members, retreat to the courtyard and prepare for battle!" Leif commanded, and the Alphas heard Brin give the same command. Then there was a small ZZZT, and the case opened. Querl grabbed it and was already halfway for the door before the others could even react, and they followed him at full tilt, speeding up as the alarm began to blare.

They skidded into the courtyard, the rest of the resistance already locked in battle with the flow of robots that had responded to the alarm. Querl handed the key to Garth, and he stood beside Tinya, blasting anything that came near her. She could fight for herself, but he was defending her anyway. Tinya stumbled back, the ring of Resistance members around her shrinking back from the onslaught of Imperiac's forces. They were barely holding their own in this fight, and it scared her to death.

"Tinya! You have to leave now!" Querl shouted, barely flinching as the blood of a comrade--'_Oh goddess...Hart!'_ Tinya thought despairingly--splattered him from the side.

"I can't do it alone!" She cried, watching helplessly as the ring shrank more, filling in those heart-wrenching gaps where friends had once stood.

"Activate the key and get out of here!"

Reep fell to his knees as Luornu caught him, rage welling up in her eyes as his large green ones glazed over and his blood stained the ground. They were such close friends here, and they were both going to die.

"Tinya, you can do it."

Brin was suddenly beside her, back-to-back with Garth as they created a protective bubble of destruction around her. They would protect her until the end.

"GO!"

Garth's voice was urgent, and he shoved the Warp Key into her hands and kissed her fiercely before turning and shouting a ferocious battle cry as he charged head on into the crowd of Destructor Bots. It was suicide and he knew it, but he was going to buy her time no matter what it took.

"GARTH!!!!!"  
Tinya tried to run after him, but Brogyn grabbed her shoulders, shaking her once and looking into her eyes fiercely.

"Tinya, unless you take that Warp Key and get back home, and put this whole sprocking mess back to the way it's supposed to be, they'll have all died in vain!" She snarled, and Tinya was shocked by her ferocity.

"But, Garth..."

"It doesn't matter! If he dies, if I die, if we all die--it doesn't matter anymore! But if you die, it's all over! The end for not only the Resistance of our world, but Legion of yours! Is that what you want?"

Her blue eyes were hard, steely and angry, but there was terror, determination and trust beneath the exterior shell. She believed in her, and Tinya could not let that trust go to waste.

"You must--GAUGHN!!"

Querl had been covering them, and he suddenly flew back, crashing into the ground with sickening force as Imperiac shoved through the crowd of Bots. Brin leaped at him from nowhere, claws flashing and teeth bared, and the villain's attention was momentarily turned.

Querl tried to stand, and Imperiac whirled and shot him dead on with a blast from his plasma cannon. He seemed to fall in slow motion, his face still surprised that he had been caught so off guard.

"NO!!!!"

Brogyn screamed and raced to his side, dropping to her knees and catching him as he toppled over on buckling human knee and limp mechanical one. His robotic pieces were sparking erratically, and a trickle of light green blood trailed from the corner his mouth. His cybertronic eye was dark and motionless, and his pale green human eye was unfocused and slightly glazed. His suit was black and charred, and it crumbled where Brogyn touched it. His chest beneath wasn't much better.

"Querl, get up! You have to get up! We can't do this without you!" She was sobbing, holding him tightly against her. "You're our techie! We need you! I..._I _need you! I need you, Querl!"

His eye flickered to her face, and he raised a weak hand to hers, eyes determined even as he lay dying.

"Bro-ogyn...make sure that Ti-inya gets away...safely...that's all that...matters..."

She gripped his shoulders firmly, blue eyes furious behind her tears.

"Stop that! You think you're leaving? Taking the easy way out? You're not going anywhere, got it? You hear me?!"

He smiled shakily, his hand moving up her dirt, blood and tear streaked cheek to tuck a stray dirty blonde curl behind her ear. She looked surprised at the gesture, and she stroked his cheek with more tears in her eyes.

"You know...I believe I am...beginning to see...how perhaps...I could have...fallen in...love...with you..."

His breath shuddered, and the light faded from his human eye as Brogyn sobbed and held onto him. 'This can't be happening. It can't!' Tinya thought despairingly.

"TINYA!!!"  
Suddenly a laser beam lanced out of nowhere, headed directly for Tinya's pounding, aching heart. She instinctively went Phantom, and something shattered in her hands.

She looked down to see the broken pieces of the Warp Key float into the air in what seemed to be slow motion.

No...it was slow motion. Time was slowing around her. Slowing...slowing...stopped.

The Resistance Team members were frozen around her, halfway into an attack or flying through mid-air in some cases.

There was a whooshing sound from behind her, and she turned slowly, as if she was swimming in water. The key had opened a wormhole that was expanding rapidly. That was good...right? Her head was spinning sickeningly.

A shadow appeared in the glow, getting bigger--and, Tinya realized, closer--gradually taking the shape of a person.

When she recognized the oddly achingly familiar face, she broke into a fresh wave of tears of relief.

"This is really strange, huh?"

The two Tinyas looked at each other, the real Tinya giving the true Apparition a sad, resigned smile. Images were flashing around them, glimpses of Tinya's future that would never be reality now that her world was in even more chaos.

One image in particular stuck with her--a little boy with black hair, pale skin and electric blue eyes leaping into thin air and being snatched by a living, breathing--and best of all, laughing--Garth. Then it was gone, but it had already done its damage to her heart. That would never be now. Garth was dead, and this entire universe was about to disappear. That little boy would never be born.

"It's not meant to be, Apparition. Your world is the one that should be--and because of them and you--it is again. I'm glad we could be a part of your life, even for a short time."  
Apparition's hands moved subconsciously to her abdomen, and she looked at Tinya with remorse heavy on her heart, making her stomach churn.

"I'm so sorry."

Tinya smiled softly, taking Apparition's hand in hers. "Don't be. We have better things than even this ahead of us, in your world where we belong. Three better things, to be exact."

She winked mysteriously at Apparition as time began to speed up again. Apparition tried to touch Tinya's shoulder one last time, but the Resistance member--and the entire world around her--was fading, slowly becoming insubstantial.

"Take care of us."

Suddenly they both shot forward, slamming full force into each other, but as one became intangible, they felt their souls slip back into their true bodies.

"Goodbye."

And then Apparition's world went black.

"Apparition!"

A faint, faraway voice was calling out to her, and her mind began to flounder into consciousness. Where was she? What had happened?

"Apparition, wake up!"

The voice was closer now, and she felt the feeling return to her limbs. Then her memory came back, and she remembered the bloody battle she had seen last.

"Tinya!!"

Her eyes flew open, and she shot bolt upright, wondering what her eyes would see. They saw the most wonderful sight she could have asked for--Phoenix, Bouncy, Tesla, Shrinking Violet, Live Wire and a very pregnant Saturn Woman were sitting around her looking worried. Phoenix had been snapping her fingers in front of the Bgztlan's face, and her blue eyes were once again soft and concerned. Gentle blue-green instead of steely blue-grey. She sat up, feeling slightly dizzy from relief. They had really done it. They had set the world right.

"You fainted. Are you ok?"

"Phoenix! You're here!" Apparition leaped up and flung her arms around Phoenix's neck, knocking her back into Bouncy and making all three of them stumble.

"Are you sure you're ok? Really?"

She grinned in pure relief, although it saddened slightly when she felt her flat stomach. It was a price that had to be paid. She knew that.

"What happened? Is something wrong with Tinya? I came as soon as I could!"

A worried, wonderfully raspy voice asked, and she whirled to see Timber Wolf standing in the doorway, looking slightly abashed to be caught breathless after running full tilt up seven flights of stairs and down eight hallways. She felt her breath catch, and she smiled in relief.

"Brin!"

She flew at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a big kiss on his lips. He stiffened and pushed her down, frowning. He was pleased, but a bit uncertain about this sudden flamboyant public display of affection.  
"Are you alright?"  
She buried her face in his chest, breathing in his wolf-ish scent. She was near tears, but just the solid feeling of him in her arms was enough to make it all better. "Yeah. I'm just glad to see you, that's all."

She turned to look at them all with tears in her eyes. "I guess...I had a bad dream. But it's over now, and you're all alright."

As if to prove her statement, Phoenix suddenly shot by in a whirlwind of red and black, attacking the green man who had just returned from Mobile HQ--which explained Timber Wolf's earlier absence--and knocking them both flat on the floor in a breathless, laughing heap. He was fully human, and to see him laughing--albeit breathlessly--was almost too good to be true.

Live Wire smiled at Apparition before giving Saturn Woman his special smile and gently rubbing her stomach.

Everything was just right. It was just the way it should be.

But what had the other Tinya meant by three better somethings? She had mentioned it when they were talking about the baby...

Had she seen glimpses of her counterpart's future as Apparition had?

She peeked at Timber Wolf through her eyelashes; he was standing there watching Brainy try to get across the room with Phoenix doting on him the whole way with a slight smirk. She reached her hand out and gripped his, and he squeezed hers back.  
She felt sudden warmth flow through her. Three somethings.

The future was bright indeed.

THE END

* * *

_Wasn't that a disgustingly fluffy ending to a super angsty story? Yeah. Oh well, I like the foreshadowing for Tinya's eventual children (quite a while from now...)  
Anyhoo...hope you didn't hate it too much, I cried when I killed off Brainy though...  
Review please!!!!_

_~Firegirl~_


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